Chapter 298: A Truly Good Person

After prolonged negotiations, the parties were getting closer to an agreement. Murphy re-engaged in negotiations with Bantam Books and George R.R. Martin. Following three rounds of intense bargaining, they finally reached an agreement.

Stanton Studio would pay a one-time adaptation fee of $15 million to Bantam Books and George R.R. Martin, covering not just "A Game of Thrones" but also "A Clash of Kings" and "A Storm of Swords."

In addition to a base right fee of $12 million, Bantam Books and George R.R. Martin would also enjoy a 10% profit share from various revenues generated by the TV series.

This was the most fiercely contested aspect of the negotiations, with one side wanting a share of all revenues and the other reluctant to give it. They finally reached a consensus on profit sharing.

For a Hollywood heavily reliant on sequels and adaptations, such a deal wasn't considered overly extravagant.

Paying a hefty price, Murphy naturally wouldn't let George R.R. Martin off easily. The agreement stipulated that Martin must participate in the screenwriting as long as the series was greenlit, with his fee included in the rights payment, and Stanton Studio would have the absolute first option to purchase future novels and any other parts Martin was contemplating but hadn't yet started.

Originally, Murphy had hoped to settle everything at once, but the other party was savvy, knowing that if the series did well, there would be room to negotiate further with Stanton Studio.

Without media knowledge or coverage, Murphy, representing Stanton Studio, signed the official contract with Bantam Books and George R.R. Martin at CAA's headquarters in the Death Star building.

However, the project wouldn't start immediately. Preparing such a vast fantasy epic takes far longer than a typical movie, and unlike commercial films where scripts are less critical, scripts are vital in the production of American TV series.

George R.R. Martin had previous experience as a screenwriter in Hollywood, so his capability and experience in this area weren't in question. However, Murphy wouldn't blindly trust him; writing scripts is entirely different from writing novels. Besides personally overseeing the script review, Stanton Studio would also recruit suitable writers, spending at least one to one and a half years polishing the script and creating preliminary shooting storyboards.

Murphy had made up his mind: for the foreseeable future, Stanton Studio's main task would be preparing and filming the "Game of Thrones" series. However, this was a long-term plan. According to his schedule, Stanton Studio would complete his new project, "Gone Girl," before starting on "Game of Thrones."

Having secured the rights to "A Song of Ice and Fire," Murphy brought Paul Wilson, who had been involved in the negotiations, back on board, while Seth Rogen also volunteered again to be his assistant. The trio quickly finished the first draft of the screenplay and the project plan.

Murphy handed these documents to Bill Rossi and Kara Faith, who then submitted them to the relevant departments at CAA and 20th Century Fox, respectively.

After the success of "Deadpool," Murphy's status in Hollywood had changed. With the new project being a Stanton Studio investment and CAA handling the package, progress was much smoother.

Hollywood's major companies have complex shareholding structures and internal power checks, along with a comprehensive operational mechanism. No single individual can greenlight a project on a whim. This ensures investment returns and reduces potential risks but also makes operations appear somewhat slow.

Stanton Studio, with Murphy as its sole shareholder, had complete discretion over its investments. While this operation mode seemed to have low risk resistance and a high degree of investment impulsiveness from an outsider's perspective, it made managing a movie project much more straightforward and faster compared to the cumbersome operations of a large company.

After finalizing the first draft of the screenplay, Murphy first visited 20th Century Fox, as the movie needed a suitable distributor, and he also wanted to bring in some of Fox's investment. The most crucial reason was that after spending a fortune on the adaptation rights for "A Song of Ice and Fire," even he felt significant financial pressure.

He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket; this was basic investment knowledge. Investment comes with risks, and bringing in 20th Century Fox as a partner had more advantages than disadvantages.

With Kara Faith's involvement, cooperation was more straightforward.

20th Century Fox was interested in investing, and there were few issues with distribution. After they pushed for an investment review, Murphy specifically gathered Bill Rossi and Kara Faith to discuss seriously.

"I've contacted everyone in your filming team."

In the living room, Bill Rossi, after thanking Gal Gadot for the coffee, said, "They're all ready and can join the project at any time."

This is the advantage of having a regular production team: it eliminates many unnecessary hassles and streamlines the preparatory work.

"And your end?" Murphy looked at Kara Faith.

Kara Faith, holding a cup of lemon water Gal Gadot had given her, took a sip and said, "Distribution won't be a problem. The distribution fee will be 10%, and other aspects will need further negotiation after the review. However, with 20th Century Fox's massive investments in 'Kingdom of Heaven' and 'X-Men: The Last Stand' not recovering quickly and Dave Scully pushing for a standalone Wolverine movie, financing is a big issue. The investment won't reach half your expectation, at most a third."

"$15 million?" Murphy frowned. He had planned a production budget of around $45 million. If 20th Century Fox reduced its investment, Stanton Studio would face greater financial pressure.

He needed a cash reserve for liquidity and to handle unexpected expenses. With the one-time payment for the "A Song of Ice and Fire" rights, the pressure of $30 million was significant.

Maybe he could consider a bank loan? With his fame post-"Deadpool," it shouldn't be too difficult.

He could also consider bringing in some private equity funds...

In any case, after overcoming the initial unknown stage, attracting investment for a director whose films had grossed over $550 million worldwide wouldn't be as difficult.

Murphy nodded, "Then $15 million it is."

Kara Faith set down her cup, "I'll urge the company to complete the review process as quickly as possible."

"I need you to be the producer again," Murphy didn't mince words. "I need to focus as much as possible on directing. I need someone I can fully trust."

"Okay," Kara Faith initially agreed, then added, "I don't have a problem this time, but I can't always take on such specific work in your films. Murphy, you need to find or cultivate a trustworthy producer."

"I know." Murphy sighed lightly, aware that such individuals are rare in Hollywood.

He also knew Kara Faith was an executive at 20th Century Fox with aspirations for further advancement and couldn't be tied down to a film set for long.

"Oh, right." Murphy changed the subject. "I've developed a marketing plan that fits the film's theme and plot."

As he started to speak, Gal Gadot, who had been a spectator, stood up, fetched two prepared documents from the bookshelf, and handed them to Kara Faith and Bill Rossi.

Murphy smiled at Gal Gadot and then said, "Take a look."

Kara Faith and Bill Rossi quickly skimmed through the documents. Having read the script, they recognized it

 as a marketing concept based on the plot.

"I think it's feasible," Bill Rossi was the first to speak up, "but it will depend on 20th Century Fox's platform."

A shell company like Stanton Studio didn't have the capability to execute such a plan.

"It's not just feasible," Kara Faith disagreed with Bill Rossi, "It's an outstanding marketing concept."

Coming from a background in social news, she added, "With the right approach, Murphy's plan could very well cause a societal sensation and discussion. It would be difficult for our movie not to attract attention."

After some thought, Bill Rossi nodded firmly, "It's doable!"

"In that case," Murphy addressed his partners, "let's make it a plan that can be executed."

Gal Gadot looked from Bill Rossi to Kara Faith and back to Murphy. These three... well, they were perfectly matched, unconcerned that Murphy's plan might involve false advertising and bring a lot of negative attention.

As the trio continued to refine the plan, Gal Gadot suddenly realized she was genuinely innocent and kind, a truly good person.

"Bill, Kara, one more thing," Murphy stood up. "Beyond business and box office, I also want this film to make an impact during awards season."

"You mean..." Bill Rossi immediately understood, "Academy Awards?"

Kara Faith was intrigued, "For such an interesting film, it would be a pity not to stir up the awards season, challenging those formulaic, award-chasing movies."

However, that was a concern for next year, and the trio just briefly touched on it without urgency.

After Bill Rossi and Kara Faith left, Murphy saw them off, and Gal Gadot prepared to leave as well.

"Can I take a copy of the script?" she asked before leaving. "I mentioned your story to Nat the other day, and she's interested in seeing it."

The script had been registered with the Writers Guild and Copyright Office. Murphy nodded but cautioned, "Don't let too many people see it, and remember to bring it back."

"Dear," Gal Gadot approached, giving him a deep kiss, "Thank you."

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